Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-02-10
MR.. LUCAS SPEECH
Placing Governor Wilson In Nomination
for United States senator.

In the execution of the purpose for
which we are now convened in joint as
sembly, feel that have an important
duty to discharge to the free institutions
OF this country, to the State Of West Vir-
ginia, to my constituents and to the DEM
ocratic party.
When this Federal Government Of ours
was founded, it was, in many important
particulars, an experiment. There
did not exist in England any
party who advocated Republi
can form OF government. There were, in
deed, individual Republicans, such rs
Algernon Sidney, but there was no party.
From Scotland aud Ireland large numbers
of Republicans had emigrated TO this
country Just before or during the Revolu-
tion. repeat that there was no English
precedent for purely Republican form Of
government nor for the organization of
purely Democratic party.
Hence, some OF our leading statesmen
doubted the propriety OF departing radi-
cally from the English model. This feeling
took form and organization and developed
into what was known rs the Federal party.
Adams and Hamilton insisted upon erect
ing, at some point, in our constitutional
structure break-water against the Demo
cratic element. In the convention which
passed the Constitution, Mr.. Adams in-
sisted that every government should have
some assembly OF estate representing the
aristocracy of the country, Mr. Hamilton
was OF the same opinion. Their idea
was, that the Senate of the
United States should he assimilated in some
manner to the House of Lords of England,
either by electing the Senators for life, or
making the Senate m hereditary body.
This. then, was originally the Federal
idea of the United States Senate, viz. {:
that it ought to be House OF Lords in
miniature.
Now, it was this idea which our fathers
successfully combatted in l1s7, and again
in 800.
The Federal idea has once more present
ed itself in this country, but in new phase
of development
''MonarchieS, says Montesquicu, in his
Spirit of Law, die of poverty; Republics,
of wealth. We have out-grown the pow
erty and severe simplicity oi our fathers.
and become wealthy and powerful EN-.
pire Bucolc America has become alb
Sorbed and transformed into commercial
America. The old idea of House of
Lords, with life tenure or hereditary pri'i-
lege, has w.developed into tendency To
convert the Senate into an Upper House OF
Exchange, over whose portals shall he
written, "Only MilliOnares shall enter
here" chamber where the will of the
people en- he stayed if not defeated, and
where private interests and corporate wealth
and powerful monopolies shall combine To
override the interests of the masses.
This contest i now in progress all over
the United States, One by one the men
of ability and attainment, having but
small fortunes, are dropped out of the
Senate, and men distinguished only for
wealth. and corporate influence are taking
their places. Let us call the roll or States
From California, We have Stanford and
Hearst. both milliOnaircs, worth between
them many millions. From Illinois, the
vacancy occasiOned by Gen. LOgan's death
has been filled by the election of Charles
Is. Farwel. Michigan has Palmer aud
Stockbridge; Minnesota, Sabin; Nevada
Fair and Stewart. In Nebraska, Paddock
supplants Van Wyck. Now what was the
record OF this man Van Wyck. for which
he was supplanted by millionaire? !
turn TO the Congressional Record of the
FOrty-eighth Congress, and find that he
, favored the bill tO prohibit foreign contract
labor, the bill to regulate Interstate con-
merce; the bill Ia make the
Pacific railroads pay their in
debtelness 10 the Government; that he
introduced bill 10 subject land grant
railroads TO State legislation, and bill 10
fix the rates Of telegraph companies west
Of the Missouri river. These were ollrnses
in favor of the rights Of the people, for
which King Caucus led him 10 the block,
and rolled his head into the gutter, and
substituted millionaire in his seat in the
United States Senate.
In the State OF New York, a man of at
tInment aud legislative experience has
triumphcd over the combinations of mo.
nOpOly and commercial wealth. and that
State has thus placed her civilization in
strong contrast with the border CiviliIl.
ton of the other States which have emu &.
merated.
The question for us OF West Virginia 10
determine is, whether We shall range our
selves with the truer civilization of New
York, or whether we shall surrender our
highest offices, as matter of barter and
sale, into the hands Of the Standard Oil
Company, or the powerful railway corpor-
atiOns which seek 10 control our legisla-
tiOn, and direct our political destiny
!, for one, am unwilling 10 make
the surrender. am unwilling
10 follow the had example Of Nebraska
and violate what | believe to he the will Of
an overwhelming majority of the people Of
this STATE Ny love for the institutions Of
this country will not permit me 10 aid in
the reelection Of the representative OF the
STANDARD OIL Company. hold in my hand
book written by a scientist called The
Railways aud the Republic" lie has a
chapter on the History OF Commercial
Crime - from which quote a few sen
tences:
THE Standard Oil COmpany
| indeed. embOdies the commercial crime OF
the last decade. Its VAT wealth has been
accumulated IN lees than fifteen years. by
speculative manpulatIons, by bribing leg
islatOrs, and by distOrting Law 10 deny 90
one man the privileges given To another
IT. history illustrates, step hy STEP the ex-
tent TO which the greed for wealth can
corrupt commercial morality, pervert law,
aud betray the interests intrusted 10 it,
protection. The methods by which this
Company acquired its power, and those by
which it exercises that power, from IL,
greatest operation to the selling Of single
barrel Of oil, shows the banefnl results
Of permitting the exclusive coD-
troll OF great commercial inter
est 10 I've Vested in a monopoly which can
oppreSs the consumer or producer alike.
Throughout the course Of intimidation,
corruption, defiance Of commercial aud
statute Law, and contempt OF public justice
that marks the rise 81 the Standard m0nOp.
oily, one paint u pre- eminent: This noDop.
oily was called into existence and sustained
in it, most odious tyranny by the per sist-
ent and deliberate DETERMINATIONS Of I.il-
WAYS in It's favor"